Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story that appear in the hit syndicated TV show Dark Angel, owned and created by James Cameron. I do, however, own any and all original characters appearing here. If you wish to use them, please ask me first.

Time Period: Before Cold Comfort.

Summary: When Zane falls dead without warning, the X5s discover that their days are numbered… literally.

A/N: Ever have a story poking at you for a long period of time? This one has been rolling around inside my head long enough to make me mad for not writing it down.

332340090210

by

Brin

"Lydecker's the one guy that knows what's going on in this freak show body of mine... Whether or not this bar code has an expiration date. I guess I couldn't let him die with that secret." –Max, Prodigy

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Prologue

"Could you hand me the wrench?" asked a mechanic underneath a car as a pair of sneaker-covered feet walked into Jim's Car Shop.

"I need to talk to you," said the owner of the feet sternly. "It's important."

The mechanic slid out from underneath the red Porsche, revealing a oil-smudged face. "What, Zack?"

"Privately."

Sighing, the mechanic stood and wiped his hands on his pants. "I'm going for a little breather, Jim," he called.

"Alright, just don't be gone too long, Zane," replied Jim from the back room.

Zane looked at his big brother and rolled his eyes. "What do you want now?"

"Outside," said Zack pointedly.

They walked a few buildings down from the car shop, then abruptly veered off the main street into an empty alleyway.

"What do you want?" repeated Zane irritably.

"I had to send Lydecker to Asia 'cause he had a lead on you. What have you been doing?" growled the older X5. "Lydecker was just outside the city so I had to create a distraction and make him believe you fled to Asia. Do you know how hard that is?"

"Not to hard, since you're you," said Zane with a sigh. He began rubbing his temple, trying to get rid of the inevitable headache he got when Zack was around. "I haven't been doing anything wrong, Zack."

"Well, clean your act up a bit, soldier," barked the other X5 seriously. "If this happens again, you're going to move."

"Yes, sir," said Zane quietly. "Can I go now? If I have to work overtime I'll be late picking my latest girlfriend up from her job down at the bar and…"

"Fine," interrupted Zack. "Go. Just watch yourself."

Zane nodded and they went their separate ways; Zack going farther down the alley while Zane walked back out to the main street.

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That evening, Zane hurriedly jumped into his pick-up and sped down to the town bar to pick up Janice. Or was it Janet? Or maybe Jennifer? He sighed and checked his reflection in the rearview mirror as he came to a halt outside the bar. No oil smudges.

Janice/Janet/Jennifer emerged from the bar a few minutes after he had arrived and got into the truck.

"Hey, Travis," she said, kissing him lightly. "Thanks for giving me a lift."

Zane watched her as she routinely flipped her blonde hair and checked her bright red lipstick in the mirror. "Good day at work?" He turned on the truck.

"Yeah," Janice/Janet/Jennifer replied distractedly.

As they drove down the dirty street towards Zane's apartment, Zane felt a funny feeling in the back of his throat. He peeked at the blonde in his passenger seat, then tried to figure out what was happening. This feeling persisted for a few minutes before it grew intense… and then Zane did something unexpected.

He coughed.

Immediately, alarms went off in his head. His foot slammed on the brakes and the truck screeched to a stop in the middle of the road.

"What is it?" asked Janice/Janet/Jennifer. "Travis?"

Zane stared at the steering wheel, his eyes wide with fear. "Get out. I have to go. I… I need to go! Get out!"

Alarmed, the blonde quickly got out of the truck. Before she could even close the door properly, Zane backed up and sped off the way they game like a maniac.

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Zane went to the nearest pay phone and dialed Zack's emergency number. His hands were shaking and he dropped his quarters more than once. As was the norm, the line rang twice and then a familiar voice answered, "Talk."

"Zack… Zack, something's wrong. I think you should get back down here." He coughed again, this time harder. "Something's real wrong."

"I'm three miles away. Be there in five minutes."

Zane stared at the phone as the line went dead, then let it drop and moved away from the phone to a bench nearby. His head began to hurt, and there were sharp pangs hitting him in the chest—as if someone was poking him with a needle. His vision blurred, then cleared, then blurred again over and over. Sweat beads rolled down his face. He rubbed his clammy hands together as a cold spell washed over him, immediately followed by a hot flash.

Then, unable to bear it anymore, Zane collapsed.

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Zack arrived at the pay phone and almost immediately spotted Zane on a nearby bench. He cautiously walked over, stopping a few feet away from his brother in alarm in alarm. His upper body hung off the side of the bench. A pool of vomit with blood mixed in lay beneath his face. His breathing was ragged and his chest heaved, trying to get air.

"What… happened?" Zack gently helped Zane get the rest of his body on the bench and knelt next to his brother. As he turned the younger X5 older, he noted the swollen throat and chickenpox-like rash across the upper body.

"C…cold… I'm cold," whispered Zane. A trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, droplets of it pooling in the vomit underneath the bench.

Zack removed his leather jacket and put it on top of Zane, trying to smile. "You're going to be okay, little brother. It's just a cold," he said, but his voice broke as he said it. "Zane?"

A clammy hand reached out and grasped Zack's shoulder weakly. "The others… warn the others," he plead quietly. "The exp… expi…"

"No, no! Don't do this to me! Nothing has happened in ten years! Don't be the first!" cried Zack, a single tear running down his face.

Zane's eyes glazed over and his grip fell completely slack. The blood stopped dripping.

"Damn it, Zane!" Zack grasped his brother's shirt and angrily wiped the tears from his eyes. "What am I gonna tell everyone else?" He leaned his forehead against his brother's cold skin and allowed a rakish sob to escape his lips. Ten years, and none of them had been taken—by death or otherwise. And he didn't even know what had happened. There wasn't any sign of physical struggle, and X5s were immune to practically all diseases known to mankind. So what silent killer could take an X5 so quickly? And what was it that Zane had been trying to say? "Exp… Exp… Expi… Expir… Expiration?" Zack's eyes widened and he flipped Zane's body over to look at the barcode. He gasped.

Across the barcode, written in big stamp letters, was the word EXPIRED.